April 1912
by BirdieGoBoom
Summary: It all began with a ticket to the Titanic's maiden voyage, and from the beginning, their fates were sealed. A 999 "what if" scenario taking place in 1912 aboard Titanic.  Contains Original Characters and OC x Cannon Character pairings. Rating may change.
1. The Musical Twins

**Here is a short explanation about some parts of the story before we begin. **

**The rating of the story is "T" for the time being, but it might change to "M" as the story progresses.**

**This story contains potential spoilers for those who have not completed the actual game (though the plot of this story is not directly linked to that of the game), and the fiction itself is what I would call a "what if?" scenario.**

**For the purpose of this story, the names of many of the Cannon Characters have been changed or altered to better fit with the time period. Though it is likely that you will have no trouble figuring out who is who, here is the list of alterations. If there are additional changes, they will be added. Any character not listed has no change to their name.**

**Gentarou Hongou (Ace)- Ace Cradle  
>Light (Snake)- Light Le Roux (L'Estrange)<br>****Clover- Clover Le Roux (L'Estrange)  
>Junpei- Junpei Inoue<br>Seven- James "Seven" Paal**

**This fiction also has some main original characters that are a large part of the plot. There are also OC x Cannon Character pairings. Cannon Character pairings will be revealed later in the story.**

**Liliana Cradle, Able Cradle, and Hannelore Cradle (although their names have been altered for this story) are Original Characters belonging to AkumaRin.**

**Vergil Aria and Vincent Aria (**although their names have been altered for this story) are Original Characters belonging to BirdieGoBoom.****

****I hope you enjoy the story!****

* * *

><p><strong>April 1912<strong>

It had been over two months since an ornate invitation arrived requesting the Aria twins' musical talent aboard the RMS Titanic. Receiving the decorated request had come as a great surprise to the brothers since they were not very well known outside of their small hometown, but they had gratefully accepted nonetheless.

The older of the two musicians (who liked to boast this fact even though he was the eldest by only a few minutes) was Vincent, and he played the first violin. Vincent was known as the louder and more outgoing twin while his brother, Vergil, was quiet and reserved, speaking to strangers only when it was absolutely necessary. In addition to being loud, Vincent was also disorganized, and had decided to pack his trunks with belongings at the latest possible moment before departing for the ship.

"Are you finished yet, Vincent?" Vergil questioned impatiently as he watched his brother throwing clothes and a variety of other things into his trunk without even bothering to fold them first.

Vincent glanced behind him to see Vergil perched atop his neatly packed mahogany colored luggage wearing a frustrated expression. "Ah… Almost done, I promise." The elder brother turned his gaze back to his belongings, which were pouring out of his trunk from every possible direction. "Maybe you'll help me close this thing so we can leave?"

With an exasperated sigh, Vergil did as his older brother had asked and jumped down from where he'd been sitting. "Tuck in all of the loose ends first, and then I'll sit on the lid so you can close it." It was only after he'd said it, but it occurred to Vergil that sitting atop the trunk would likely be of little assistance, since he didn't weigh much, but it was too late to retract his offer.

It didn't take long for Vincent to stuff the odds and ends of various pieces of clothing into the trunk, and he quickly closed the lid as far as he could manage before motioning for his brother to sit on it.

"Hm…" The lid still refused to close, much to Vincent's dismay. "It's not working. Move over and I'll come up there, too."

With a slight nod, Vergil obliged and slid to one end of the trunk to make room for his brother, whose added weight was just enough to force the overflowing trunk to close. Vincent then leaned over the edge to close the latch and lock up his belongings.

"Okay, let's get going." Vincent's words were all the impetus they needed to pick up their luggage and head to the modest carriage that awaited them outside.

Although the brothers had packed lightly in consideration for their small living quarters in one of the many crew rooms aboard the ship, they had to make a second trip to collect their instruments and remaining pieces of luggage.

Vergil held the black case containing his own violin protectively against his chest as he made his final trip to the carriage. Although Vergil's primary instrument was the piano, it was hardly portable, so he had taken up playing the second violin. He found the harmony parts in music much more intriguing than the melody most people could tap their toes to.

With one final glance at his precious jet-black grand piano, which was the defining piece of furniture in the brothers' living room, Vergil closed the front door of the house and went to sit with Vincent in the carriage.


	2. The Man Who Worked the Boilers

James Paal entered the crew cabin where he would be staying for the entirety of Titanic's maiden voyage and sighed deeply. His quarters were slightly more spacious then he had imagined, and this had come as a pleasant surprise. It was almost a shame that he would have little time to spend in the cabin, since he would be working long hours stoking the boilers in the engine room.

There was a set of three bunk beds lining one of the walls, which meant that James would be sharing this room with two other people.

_Hope they're at least decent folks._ James thought to himself as he sat down on the bottom bunk. He had chosen the lowest bed simply because there was no way he could fit into either of the others due to his burly stature. As he looked around the room once more, he heard the door creak open and watched as two boys entered, luggage in tow. They looked almost identical: they both had snow-white hair though they appeared to be only in their twenties, very noticeable cerulean blue eyes, and they wore black formal suits with black neckties in a bow around their necks. The only difference between them was that one boy was about two inches or so taller than the other. It occurred to James that they could be brothers, if not twins.

"You guys brothers or somethin'?" The burly man questioned without even bothering to introduce himself.

The two newcomers exchanged glances before the taller one replied. "Yes, we're twin brothers. I'm Vincent Aria, and this is Vergil. We'll be musicians aboard this ship."

The one who had been introduced as Vergil gave a slight nod as to confirm the information and acknowledge James.

"Musicians, huh? Sounds better than workin' the boilers. But anyway, it's nice to meet ya. The name's James Paal, but ya can call me Seven for short."

Vergil furrowed his brow. "Why Seven? Er, well… I mean, it seems a bit strange for a nickname…" He spoke quietly; almost as if he were uncomfortable in the company of anyone save for his brother.

"It's a long story, kid." Seven grunted and shifted slightly on his bed. "I was a cop for a long time, see? They called me Seven since it only took me seven words to get a guilty criminal to confess. Bein' a cop is also where all the scars on this mug came from." He pointed to a particularly visible scar on the side of his face.

"That sounds impressive. Although… If you were so good, why did you quit? You did use past-tense and said that you _were_ a cop." As soon as Vincent asked the question, his younger brother elbowed him in the side.

"That's rude, Vincent." Vergil hissed under his breath. "You shouldn't ask things like that!"

Before Vergil could do any further reprimanding, Seven removed the dark brown, paperboy-style hat he had been wearing on his head and turned it over in his hands a few times while formulating a response. "I don't mind tellin' you folks, so long as you keep it quiet. The honest truth-" He stopped short in the middle of his sentence. "Why don't you two sit down first? This will take a while, so your legs would get real tired."

The twins nodded and took a seat on their trunks, doing their best to get comfortable.

"Alright, then. As I was sayin', the honest truth is that I didn't quit bein' a cop. I was fired. Like I told ya before, I could always get 'em to talk with only seven words, but this guy was different. He was a killer, and we all knew it, but we just didn't have the evidence to convict 'im." James paused and looked at Vincent, who looked like he was dying to ask a question. "Calm down, kid. I'm getting to how I knew. It was because this low-life killed my wife and kid, and she managed to tell me who it was with her dying breath." James' eyes were clouded over with grief, and he had to pause for a moment to regain his composure.

"I… I am so sorry…" Vergil apologized, though he felt it wasn't quite enough.

Seven shook his head, still looking a bit sullen. "Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault. The murderer's name is Mikael Arlovoski, and the guy's still on the loose. I knew he killed 'em, so I forged evidence to get 'im the guilty sentence he deserved. I just couldn't let 'im get away with destroying my family, and I wouldn't let 'im kill again… But in the end, I got caught and Arlovoski got away. …Well, that's the end of it."

Vergil and Vincent were speechless. Neither of the musicians had imagined that Vincent's prying could lead to such a depressing tale, especially coming from the mountain of a man that sat across from them.

Seven suddenly cleared his throat, bringing the awkward silence that had enveloped the room to a close. "Since I shared my story, I figure you oughtta share yours. So, what's with this white hair of yours? Ain't ya a little young to be grey?"

As they had done earlier, the two brothers exchanged glances before Vincent began to explain. "The color isn't exactly natural, you see. Our hair used to be platinum blond, but it turned white due to stress."

"When we had just turned thirteen, our whole family got into an accident of sorts." Vergil picked up the story where Vincent left off. "The four of us had gone to the opera house for some entertainment, but the stage somehow caught of fire due to one of the props. It spread through the entire building, and many people didn't have the time to escape. …Our parents were among those people, and the emotional trauma from that event caused our hair to become like it is now."

James Paal was quiet for a moment as he pondered the twins' story. "Guess we've got somethin' in common, then. Ya got a past you'd rather not talk about, and I'm the same way. Looks like I'll get along with you folks just fine. Now, I have to be getting' down to the steam engine room so we can start this beauty up. I'm bettin' you boys have your own stuff to attend to, so I'd best be goin'." Seven gave them a smile as he left the room for work.


	3. The Rebel, the CEO, and the Cronies

Outside of the RMS Titanic stood a woman with golden hair done in sausage curls, dressed in elegant clothing. She stared up at the passengers standing up on deck waving to the crowd below, and then at the rest of the ship. Its size and magnificence failed to impress her, or intimidate her, for that matter. She could never quite grasp the male preoccupation with size, especially when it came to building things, and the prospect of being on the ocean liner before her disgusted the woman.

She had been born into a rich family, much to her personal displeasure, and was a bit of a rebel when it came to the rules and customs for a Lady in high society. Her father, Ace Cradle, who was the C.E.O. and founder of Cradle Pharmaceutical, was almost to the point of giving up on shaping his daughter into the perfect Lady. His disappointment led him to make a compromise of sorts with her: so long as she behaved herself in public, she was free to do whatever she liked while at home and not in the presence of company.

"Liliana, come here, please!" Her father called for her from a few feet away. "The porters are loading our things, and we must board the ship!"

With a great sigh, Liliana Cradle tore her eyes away from the ship, stiffened her posture, and walked over to her father, who was surrounded by his company cronies, as Liliana had dubbed them. The "Cronies," or more appropriately executives from Cradle Pharmaceutical, were a group of men that could almost always be found near Ace Cradle's side. To Liliana, this came as a great annoyance because it was rare that she could speak with her father in private.

"You will have more than enough time to admire the grandeur of the Titanic from the inside once we have boarded, Liliana." Her father reassured her with a slight smile.

"Yes, Father." Liliana had to resist the strong urge to grit her teeth as she spoke. She wanted nothing more than to simply go back home and have nothing more to do with this wretched ship.

Liliana's brother, Abel, seemed to be much more excited about the prospect of being aboard the ocean liner than she was, though he didn't look to be entirely happy. "Well, let us not keep the grand Titanic waiting any longer. I would like to get settled in as quickly as is possible so that I may explore at my own leisure."

The blond woman scoffed at this notion. Abel would only go "exploring" for pretty girls to spend time with. Abel was tall with clean-cut golden blond hair and blue eyes, so he was very popular with the ladies. Even if she were allowed to roam the ship in search of attractive young men, Liliana had no interest in such an activity.

"Children, follow quickly, please." The kind reminder had come from Liliana and Abel's mother, Hannelore. Her soft German accent as well as her golden hair and blue eyes gave away her heritage. She stood halfway up the gangplank, waiting for the other two members of her family, who soon made their way towards her as fast as they could while still maintaining their decorum.


	4. The Orphans and the Dancer

Far below the chatter of business, politics, and other concerns of upper-class society, a young woman sat on the top bunk of a set of three, scribbling away in a journal.

_April 10, 1912_

_ Imagine, a couple of orphans sailing to America on the ship of dreams, Titanic! Of course, we'll be housed in third class accommodations for the voyage, but I'm not complaining! My older brother even said that they serve meals to third class passengers here, unlike most ships where we are expected to bring our own food._

_ You know, when I asked Brother about how he managed to buy our tickets, he said something like, "Oh, I have my ways. No need to be concerned." I hope that he didn't steal them… Ah, not that I would suspect him of thievery…! Oh, never mind. I'm excited to be here nonetheless. _

_ I can't help but wonder who we will be sharing this room with, though. There are six beds in this room, four vacant at this moment, but that is sure to change soon. Whomever they may be, I'm sure that we'll get along._

_Akane Kurashiki_

_P.S. It has now been almost ten years since the last time I saw him. Nine years, ten months, and three days, to be exact. Do you think that maybe it's time to stop counting…?_

After she had finished writing, Akane closed the journal and shoved it under her pillow.

"Writing in that stupid thing again?" After speaking, the occupant of the bunk below Akane kicked the bottom of her bed.

"H-hey!" Akane exclaimed, leaning over the edge of her bunk to peer at the silver-haired man below her. "I don't think that the White Star Line would appreciate you breaking their ship, Aoi. Especially since we don't have the money to pay for repairs."

Aoi only laughed and shook his head to dismiss his sister's warning. "Calm down, sis. One kick isn't going to break this bed, let alone a whole ship."

Akane frowned and removed a few stray locks of her caramel-brown hair from her eyes before responding. "…But you still shouldn't kick the bed."

He raised one eyebrow. "You mean like this?" He taunted, proceeding to kick the underside of the bed, despite his sister's protests.

"Stop it, Aoi! That's not-" Akane stopped short before finishing her sentence, sat straight up on her bed, and turned her eyes to the room's entrance.

"Hey, Akane? Are you okay? Did I break the…bed…" Aoi's voice trailed off as he noticed what Akane had been staring at. The door to the cabin was open, and standing in the doorway were three women.

The newcomers all had long, jet-black hair and wore knee-length grey coats. Two of them looked to be around Akane and Aoi's age and were so similar in appearance that there was no doubt they were twins. The last woman, who was likely the mother of the other two, stood at the front of the group with her coat half open, revealing some sort of strange, exotic outfit. She wore a disturbingly large amount of gold-colored jewelry around her neck, and the teal garment she used to cover the least possible amount of her chest without being completely naked also bore similar golden jewels that jingled like a bag of coins when she moved. Covering her bottom half was what appeared to be a very long, red scarf that the woman had fashioned into a very skimpy skirt. Like her shirt (though it could barely be called as such), the skirt bore similar coin-like jewels. It occurred to Aoi that the strange woman must have been very cold, since her less than modest choice in clothing left the better part of her abdomen completely exposed.

"Excuse me," the woman began while glaring straight into Aoi's stone grey eyes, "but it's quite impolite to stare."

"U-uh, sorry, lady." Aoi had wanted to say that if the woman hadn't wanted him to stare, then she shouldn't have dressed so provocatively, but he thought better of it and held his tongue. They would be sharing a room for the remainder of the Titanic's maiden voyage, so angering her would be an unwise decision.

Both Aoi and Akane watched as the three women issued into the room and claimed the set of bunks that lined the opposite wall. After the newcomers had made themselves comfortable, Akane decided that it was probably a good idea to get introductions out of the way, in hopes of making the situation slightly less awkward.

"Um, well… My name is Akane, and my brother Aoi and I are traveling to America in hopes of finding better lives for ourselves. I guess that makes us a lot like most of the other people down here in third class, doesn't it?"

After a brief silence, the oldest of the three women replied. "You can call me Lotus, and these are my daughters."

"I'm Nona," added the young woman who now occupied the middle bunk on the opposite wall. She had her hair tied back in a ponytail, and her dark brown eyes had a determined fire to them.

It took the last woman a few moments to respond, as she seemed to be more focused on her own thoughts rather than what was happening around her. "Oh, um," she began as she ran a hand through her jet-black locks, "my name is Ennea." Ennea had opted to take the top bunk, and she looked over at Akane with curiosity.

Akane fidgeted under Ennea's gaze. "Um… Are you immigrating to America, too?" She asked quietly.

"And what the hell kind of name is Lotus anyway?" Aoi was bored of being cordial, and besides, he'd had enough time to assess the situation and determined that this woman was likely all talk and no action.

"For your _information_," Lotus hissed while glaring at Aoi through narrowed eyes, "I am a dancer and Lotus is merely my stage name. I'll have you know that-"

"If you're going to say that you're famous or something," Aoi interrupted, "don't waste your breath. Tell me, if you're such a big name dancer, how come you're traveling in steerage? And why haven't I heard of you before?"

Lotus' glare intensified. "You had better watch your mouth."

Refusing to back down, Aoi returned her glare and the air seemed to come alive with tension.

"Actually," Akane began shyly, "I've heard of her before."

"Uh, what did you just say?" Aoi questioned, his eyes still on Lotus.

"I've heard of her before." Akane repeated. "She's a famous dancer, and she has even performed on Broadway!"

"Broadway? Is that some kind of hooker convention?" It was clear from his blank expression that Aoi really had no idea what Broadway was.

"No, you idiot!" Lotus retorted.

"Broadway is the place in New York with all of the theaters." Akane explained. "But what most people don't know about Lotus is that she also dances for m-"

"T-that's enough! I think your idiot of a brother finally understands."

It was clear to Aoi that Lotus was hiding something, and he decided that he would find out her secret on his own time. "Fine, fine. But you still haven't explained what you're doing down here." Aoi figured that Lotus wouldn't have a comeback to this question.

"Haven't you ever heard of traveling incognito? Or is that word too big for your shriveled brain to understand?"

Aoi had pushed his luck too far this time. He could not think of a witty response, so he merely glared and muttered the word "whore" under his breath.

Knowing that she had won, Lotus smirked contentedly. "Say something?"

"Shut up."

"C-can't we just get along?" Akane pleaded with a worried expression on her face.

"Oh, I'll have no problem getting along with you, but your brother is another story." Lotus smiled at the younger woman.

_This… This might become a _very _long trip_. Akane thought to herself.


	5. Gossip and Rumors

Liliana stared idly at the dinner menu that a waiter had set in front of her. She scanned through the choices for each of the many courses, silently wondering if any person could actually eat so much food.

"Oh, the indecision…" She muttered to herself.

Abel, who was sitting on Liliana's right, let out a small chuckle. "Perhaps there is too much food for you?"

"Yes, actually." She replied bluntly, not looking up from the menu.

"Lili, it isn't any fun to speak to you when you are in one of your 'moods.'"

"That problem would be easily solved if you would stop bothering me."

From across the table, Ace Cradle shot his children a glare that clearly said, "I don't care who started it, but this nonsense must stop immediately."

Liliana scowled at her brother before turning her attention to the waiter who had returned to the table while Liliana had been distracted. The waiter was tall and slightly scrawny, and she watched as he took orders from some of the other people at the table before he came around to her.

"And for you, Miss? What can I get for you?" The waiter asked politely.

"I will have the same as my mother." She replied.

Seeing as Hannelore was the only other woman seated at the table, the waiter immediately knew whom Liliana was referring to. "Of course, Miss."

Liliana thanked the waiter, and turned back to her brother. "I'm sure you're excited for dinner to finish." She whispered. "I take it you won't be joining Father for cigars and brandy tonight?"

"Of course I won't be joining him." Abel replied quietly, trying to ensure that his father couldn't hear him. "You know how all of the talk about company finances and politics bores me."

"So you'll be out looking for women?"

Abel smiled. "You know me too well, Lili. Care to join me?"

"No, thank you."

"I was inviting you to come exploring with me, not hunting for women."

Liliana thought about his offer for a moment, but then shook her head. "Perhaps some other night."

"So, you have plans?" Abel questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I don't have any plans. I just don't feel much like exploring tonight. I'm rather tired."

"Well, suit yourself, then."

Liliana spent the majority of dinnertime picking at the food on her plate. Everything that the waiter placed before her was delicious and seasoned just to her taste, but she wasn't very hungry, so she ended up taking a bite or two of the food before ignoring whatever was left.

"Are you feeling alright, dear? You've barely touched your dinner…" Hannelore asked, looking at her daughter from across the table.

"Oh, I'm fine." Liliana reassured her mother. "I'm just not feeling very hungry."

"Well, if you're sure you're alright…" Hannelore gave Liliana one last worried glance before returning to her conversation with her husband, although it looked more like she was simply listening to Ace's conversation with his associates. Liliana couldn't help but wonder if she was truly happy.

"Lili," Abel said suddenly, discreetly nudging her from under the table, "look over there."

"Where? At what?" She questioned as she tried to follow her brother's gaze. "What exactly are you talking about?"

"Not what," he corrected, "_who_. Don't you see the odd pair two tables over on your left? The ones with the strange hair?"

Liliana craned her neck slightly to her left, and she saw the people her brother had been referring to almost immediately. In the exact location her brother had mentioned, a young man and woman sat at one of the smaller tables in the room. Although the table was small, it was built to accommodate four people, and the two more normal-looking ones sharing their table seemed to have moved as far away from the odd pair as was possible, and Liliana could have sworn that every once in a while, they stole a sideways glance at the strangers.

"Who exactly _are_ those people?" Liliana murmured under her breath.

"Light and Clover Le Roux." Abel replied.

At the mention of their names, Liliana's eyes lit up. She wasn't usually one for gossip, but this particular bit piqued her interest. "Ah, yes. I have heard of them before, though this is certainly the first time I've ever _seen_ them. They are 'New Money,' if I'm not mistaken." Of course, "New Money" referred to people who had recently come upon a fortune, and were unaccustomed to life in high society. This made them prime subjects for upper-class women's gossip over a cup of tea in the early afternoon.

Abel gave a slight nod before continuing. "New Money, indeed. Tell me, how much do you know about them?"

Liliana glanced in Light and Clover's direction again to get a better look. Clover had very red hair, and not in the conventional sense either. When Liliana thought of red hair, she pictured some shade of orange. Clover's hair, however, was a deep shade of red that seemed almost pink when the light hit it just right. From what Liliana could tell, Clover was likely around 17 or 18 years old, although she appeared to be somewhat short for her age. Light, on the other hand, was very tall and had a scholarly, almost princely demeanor. He possessed striking silver hair, which was almost a color stranger than his sister's.

"Well," Liliana said, turning her attention back to Abel, "not very much, regrettably. Only that Light inherited his parents' company a few years ago after they died in some sort of accident, and that he's been caring for his younger sister Clover ever since."

"Hm…" Abel murmured thoughtfully. "You know the basics, I suppose. Rumor has it that they come from an old French family that was named Le Roux after their unusual red hair. The family immigrated to England a few generations ago, and has been there ever since. The interesting part of the story takes place…more recently. Light's father, whose name eludes me at the moment, was trying to found the company we now know as Sonores." Upon observing Liliana's confused expression, Abel saw fit to explain what exactly "Sonores" was. "Sonores makes musical instruments, though they are famous for their pianos."

"Light doesn't really seem like the craftsman sort." Liliana pointed out.

Abel rolled his eyes. "He has people make them for him, of course. Though it's rumored that he will make one himself every once in a while. They are supposed to be very special and expensive, and much sought after, or so I've heard. Returning to my story, Light has earned his family the nickname 'L'Estrange.' I'm sure you've picked up on the meaning of the word, so I won't waste time explaining it to you. The story goes that Light's father just couldn't get Sonores off the ground, and he had almost sunk the Le Roux family into bankruptcy. One day, Light and his parents were involved in some sort of automobile accident, and unfortunately, the wreck took the lives of Light's mother and father. The fact that Light survived was said to be a miracle. What's strange about the whole affair was that Mr. Le Roux had insured his life for millions of pounds only a week or so before the accident, and as soon as he and his wife passed away, Sonores suddenly became extremely successful. That is precisely why the name L'Estrange has arisen." Abel lowered his voice even more. "Some speculate that he murdered his parents for the money."

Liliana's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Please tell me you don't believe such nonsense, Abel. I feel quite sorry for Light, having this terrible rumor floating over his head."

"Of course I don't believe any of it. Women tend to let their imagination get the best of them when it comes to gossip."

"Speaking of which, when did you become such a gossip, Abel? Spending too many hours with women will do that to you, I suppose." Liliana questioned, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Perhaps if you had a fiancée, you would spend all of your time speaking of ships and cars." Abel replied with a smirk.

"Hmph." Liliana had no fiancée, and she planned to keep it that way as long as she could. She had no desire to become a housewife of any sort, especially because being a housewife implied that she would have to raise children. Liliana did _not_ want children, and that was that.

In hopes of finding a suitable distraction, Liliana scanned the room once more for something or someone interesting. Her gaze rested on the group of musicians at one end of the dining room. It wasn't difficult for her to pick out Wallace Hartley and the rest of the members of his group, but there were two people amongst them whom she did not recognize. They were two identical men, though one was slightly taller than the other, and they both possessed stark white hair. It occurred to Liliana that the musicians had been playing the entire evening, yet she hadn't noticed them until now. "Abel, have you any idea who those two violinists are?"

"Not in the slightest." He said, fixing the musicians with a curious gaze.

...

Two tables to the left of the Cradle children and their gossip, Light and Clover Le Roux were engaging in a similar conversation about the twin violinists on the other side of the dining room. Although, from where the siblings were seated, the space the musicians occupied could hardly be called "the other side of the dining room." In fact, they were seated so near the miniature string orchestra (about two table lengths away) that they couldn't help but listen to their music, unlike most of the diners who simply ignored or didn't notice them. The Le Roux siblings, however, rather enjoyed their close proximity to the musicians. Light seemed particularly interested, and he paid such close attention that he could have recited the titles of every single song they played in order, along with the name of the person who composed the piece. He would have loved to discuss music with the other two people whom he and his sister shared a dinner table with (and would be sharing a table with until they docked in New York, for that matter), but they seemed quite unwilling to have anything to do with their dining companions. Light and Clover's very presence had obviously made them extremely uncomfortable. They apparently had no qualms about showing it either, since they had moved their chairs as far away from the siblings as they could possibly manage. Every once in a while, Light caught the older couple staring at him or his sister, but they would always turn their heads and pretend nothing had happened when either of the strangers returned their gaze.

"Strange, are they not?" Clover whispered to her brother, who was seated directly across from her.

"And I suppose they hold the same opinion of us. It seems to me that _everyone_ in this dining room has classified us as such." Light replied after drinking from one of the glasses set before him.

"I'm sure it's the rumors that have them staring. It's almost as if they think we don't notice…" Clover certainly didn't appreciate being stared at as if she were some sort of exotic animal on display at a zoo.

"Clover, I _do_ hope that you will refrain from gossiping…" Light had always seen gossip as distasteful, and refused to take part in the sharing of such things, although, his morals had not kept him from hearing some of the things people said about him. Especially bothersome were those who said that Light had somehow caused his parent's deaths simply for the money. Light certainly would have liked to have a stern chat with the people who had started that one. He was not a murderer, and he intended to make that perfectly clear. Light cleared the thoughts of rumors from his mind and turned his attention back to the twin violinists. "I can't shake the feeling that there is something…odd about the shorter one, but I can't quite place what it is."

Clover raised an eyebrow. "I never would have guessed that you were interested in men, Light."

He scowled. "Clover, you know very well that I meant nothing of _that_ sort."

"What _did_ you mean, then?"

"I was referring to…" Light's voice trailed off, and he took a moment to gather his thoughts. "…I'm not entirely sure."

"Well, the only thing strange about him is that he plays with his eyes closed most of the time."

"I don't find that strange in the slightest." Light said frankly. "I take it to mean that he has mastered his instrument, or is quite close to doing so."

"So, you think it strange that he is talented? Or, perhaps it's the color of his hair that piques your interest?" Clover questioned, still utterly confused.

Light shook his head. "No, that isn't it. Although, I must admit that I do wonder about their hair. However, both of them have white hair, so that doesn't differentiate between the shorter one and his brother."

Clover gave her older brother an impatient look. "Just how long do you intend to have me play detective?"

"Hm… Well, if you don't notice it yourself, I'm not sure I can explain it to you."

Clover squinted her eyes and scrutinized the shorter of the musical siblings, but she found nothing of interest and let out a frustrated sigh. "I give up."

"You are too easily frustrated, Clover."

She frowned, not wanting to admit that her brother's words held truth to them. "Maybe if you weren't so cryptic, I'd have an easier time understanding you."

Light ignored his sister's last statement and looked around the room. It must have been getting late, as many of the men were absent from their tables. He assumed that they had gone to the Smoking Room to prattle on about business and politics.

"Shall we adjourn to the Smoking Room for cigars and brandy, gentlemen?" The voice belonged to a rather important looking man who was standing up two tables to Light's right. He had a nicely trimmed, short beard that seemed to come to a slight point, and Light noticed wisps of grey in his brown hair. The three men who surrounded the man who had posed the question stood up from their seats and accepted the offer with murmurs of agreement. It occurred to Light that the man with the wisps of grey in his hair was the type of person who seemed to think that he was much more important than he actually was.

The youngest man two tables down seemed to be less keen on accepting the proposal of venturing to the Smoking Room. "I hope you won't mind if I don't join you tonight, Father."

The young man's father nodded, signaling that he didn't mind his son staying behind. "I'm sure you must be tired from the day's events, Abel. Rest up for tomorrow." With those words, Abel's father and the other three men left the dining room.

"Clover, I think it would be best if we returned to our cabin now." Light stated as he pushed in his chair.

The young red-haired woman nodded her approval. "Perfect. I'm tired of being stared at by these people anyway."

As the pair turned to leave, Light Le Roux took one final look at the strange violinist. He could have sworn that the other man glanced up from his instrument for a moment and stared back, but Light suspected that it had simply been his imagination. This mystery would have to wait until tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>Here are a couple of quick notes about this chapter.<strong>

**"Sonores" is a French word meaning "sound," and it is pronounced So-nor. The French surname Le Roux, pronounced as Roo, means "the red-haired one."**

**As always, thank you for reading!**


	6. Reunion

The next afternoon at roughly 12:30 PM, the Titanic docked in Queenstown, Ireland to pick up the last of her passengers. Amongst these people was a young man by the name of Junpei Inoue, who looked relatively normal by any standard. He had dark brown hair that was somewhere between straight and curly, and his eyes were almost an identical shade of brown. Anyone at the dock would have been able to tell that he was traveling third class, thanks to the simple clothing he wore and the single bag he carried with him.

Just like all of the other third class passengers, Junpei had to be checked for lice before boarding the Titanic, but the procedure didn't bother him in the slightest. Although he appeared quite poor, he had actually been saving a small amount of his meager paycheck in a secret place for many years to finance a year studying abroad at an American university. Today was finally the day when he would be making the move overseas, and he was determined not to let anything spoil his good mood.

As he entered the ship and made his way through the twisting and utterly confusing corridors to F-Deck, Section C, Cabin Number 40 (which was his designated room according to the ticket he gripped tightly in his left hand), the brown-haired man paid little attention to the other passengers clamoring through the packed hallways around him. Junpei's thoughts were completely focused on a photograph that he had been carrying in his back pocket for nine years, ten months, and four days. This particular picture was a class photo taken of a group of young students who had just completed their sixth and final year at a Japanese Grade School. All of the students stood in neat rows and wore serious expressions on their innocent faces, and the teachers looked especially stern and somber. In the very center of the front row, however, were a boy and girl who didn't quite fit in with the melancholy atmosphere that was so prominent throughout the rest of the picture. The two children were holding hands, and it looked like they were trying very hard not to laugh. Although the photograph itself lacked the vivid colors of life, the lively glint in the children's eyes certainly made up for that shortcoming. Of course, the boy in the picture had been Junpei Inoue (who was now hopelessly lost on the Titanic) when he was a child, and the girl next to him had been his best friend. Junpei had started carrying around the photograph on the last day he'd seen her all of those years ago, and every day that passed was a day he spent missing her.

"Watch where you're going!" The shout had come from a man with a thick, black beard, and he glared down at the younger and much smaller man before him. "Are you some kind of idiot? What's yer name, kid?"

"Er, it's Junpei, sir." Junpei answered as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I didn't mean to bump you…"

"Hmph." The larger man crossed his arms. "Be sure to keep yer head out of the clouds, _Junpei_. I'm not gonna let you go so easily next time." With those words and a final disapproving look, the bearded man stormed off down the corridor.

"That was a close one…" Junpei murmured to himself once he was sure the other man had gone. "Now where exactly am I?" He gazed around the hallway, which looked just like the others he'd been through, to find himself standing directly next to the door that led to cabin number forty. The young man couldn't help but smile at his good luck.

"I suppose I should go inside and get settled, then." He said to himself as he took a deep breath. The air smelled of people and fresh paint, and he imagined that the smell would become very familiar to him by the time he disembarked Titanic in New York.

As he reached for the doorknob, Junpei tried to ignore the nervous feeling that had suddenly arisen in the pit of his stomach. He had no idea why he should be nervous, since he was only trying to open a perfectly normal door that led to a perfectly normal third class cabin. Junpei shook his head to clear his mind and opened the door, only to find that something was blocking it from opening more than halfway.

"Ouch!" Said the something, or rather, someone.

"I-I'm really sorry!" Junpei stammered an apology as he closed the door just enough so that he could still fit beyond it and into the room. He'd only been on the ship for roughly twenty minutes, and somehow he had already managed to upset two people. "Are you okay?"

Fortunately for Junpei, the young woman who emerged from behind the door didn't seem to be angry with him. "That's okay. I'm fi-" She froze in her tracks and her voice faded away once she had gotten a good look at the brown-haired young man that she was now standing directly across from. "…Jumpy? Is that you?" She whispered, her eyes wide with surprise and excitement.

Junpei stared back at her, dumbfounded. How could he ever forget that caramel-brown hair and those sparkling violet eyes? It had been nearly ten years, but here he was, standing in front of his childhood friend, Akane Kurashiki. "K-Kanny?" He exclaimed using the nickname he had given her when they were kids.

"It really is you! It's been so long!" Akane threw her arms around Junpei and hugged him tightly. Minutes passed before she released him and spoke again. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing!" Junpei replied as he closed the cabin door and picked up the bag of things he had dropped when Akane had hugged him.

"Well, this is the cabin I'm staying in." She explained. "But… you're not staying here, are you? I thought they put single men in cabins somewhere else on this deck. You _are_ traveling alone, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm here alone, but my ticket said that I was in this cabin… Maybe the White Star Line made a mistake."

Akane's smile grew wider. "In that case, this bed is yours." She pointed to the bottom bunk in a set of three that lined the wall on Junpei's right.

Before Akane had a chance to reply, a silver-haired man leaned out of the bunk above Junpei's and looked down with a frown on his face. "What's with all the racket? Keep it down, will ya? I'm tryin' to sleep!"

"Aoi, look who's going to be the last person sharing a room with us!" Akane turned to look at the other man as she spoke.

"What do you mean, sis? He just looks like a normal-" Aoi's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Oh, no way. Not you again!"

Junpei smiled slightly. "Nice to see you too, Aoi."

"Don't give me that 'nice to see you' shit." Warned Aoi, who had jumped off of his bed and was now standing face-to-face with Junpei. "There is no way in _Hell_ that I'm going to let you sleep in the same room as my sister, even if I'm in the bunk between the two of you!"

Junpei turned back to Akane. "He's sleeping in the bed between us?"

"…Unfortunately." She replied quietly.

"Shut up!" Aoi yelled at Junpei. "You'd better get your sorry ass out of here!"

"But this is my cabin, according to my ticket!" Junpei protested. "There's not much I can do about it."

Aoi's face tightened. "You can sleep in the hallway, for all I care!"

"But Aoi!" Akane whimpered, hoping her brother would give in to the puppy-dog eyes she was making at him.

"No 'buts!'" He yelled back. "Get out of here Junpei. Out, OUT!" Aoi opened the door and tried to push the other man into the hallway.

"If Junpei goes, I go too." Said Akane as she stepped in front of her brother to defend her friend.

Aoi shot her a glare before shoving Junpei the rest of the way out of the room. Then, before Aoi had enough time to process what was going on, Akane darted out of the door, grabbed Junpei's hand, and the two ran off down the corridor.

"Hey!" Aoi called as he slammed the door and ran after them. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Get back here!"

"Kanny," Junpei panted as he ran behind Akane, holding onto her hand for dear life, "what are we doing?"

Akane looked back at him for a moment and smiled. "Running, silly."

"I know that, but where to?"

"I don't know yet!" She replied. "Somewhere my brother can't find us, preferably."

Junpei felt her hand tighten around his, and he felt his cheeks going red. _Now's not the time to be blushing!_ He told himself as he narrowly avoided running into someone. Besides, there would be plenty of time to figure out his feelings when he wasn't being chased by Akane's older brother, who would probably kill him, given the chance. Junpei glanced over his shoulder to see that Aoi was catching up, and he could have sworn that Aoi's grey eyes had a murderous glint to them.

"Kanny, we have to run faster! He's right behind us!"

Akane nodded and began to run faster while dodging the other people in the corridor as best as she could. The two made their way through many L-shaped hallways, zigzagging past any obstacles in their way, but Aoi was quick and refused to give in. They sped towards the ship's stern to the third class stairs, and up they went until they had reached E-Deck, where they had to search for different stairs that would take them further up. Akane dragged Junpei aft once again, Aoi following close behind. Finally, after a few minutes of wandering lost, Akane spotted a staircase they were allowed to use and jumped up it as fast as she could. Junpei took a mental note that they had gone up two decks, putting them on C-Deck, and no sooner had he done so, Akane dragged him off in a different direction because the staircase had ended, leaving the two outside on the boat deck.

"Do you think we've lost him?" Junpei managed to ask between gasps for air.

"I don't know, but let's go up another level, just to be safe." Akane panted, pointing to another flight of stairs.

Junpei groaned, but followed anyway. Once they had made their way up to the second floor of the third class promenade and gone as far towards the stern as was possible without jumping off of the ship, Junpei and Akane dropped to the floor, exhausted.

Moments passed while the two caught their breath in relative silence. The deck was surprisingly empty, but Junpei figured that most people wanted to get situated in their cabins before coming to the promenade to wave to the crowd below. And besides, it was just getting on to one o' clock and waving for an entire half-hour would leave your arm very tired.

"So," Akane said finally, "I still really want to know how you ended up here, Jumpy."

Junpei looked up at the blue afternoon sky and took a deep breath of the fresh, sea air. "Well, where do you want me to start?"

"After Grade School. What have you been up to since the last time I saw you?" She replied almost immediately, as if she'd been wanting to ask the question for a very long time.

"It's not that interesting of a story, really…" After seeing the disappointment on Akane's face, he quickly continued. "My family and I left Japan after school was over, and to make a long story short, we ended up in Ireland. Lately, I've been working nights at a fancy restaurant as a bus boy. Sometimes the manager has me sweep up, too. As for why I'm on Titanic, I was able to save enough money to pay for a year studying abroad at a university in America. What about you?"

Akane ran a hand through her caramel-brown hair. "Aoi and I have been moving around a lot. We left Japan a couple of years after you did with our parents, but… They passed away shortly after. My brother and I have been on our own ever since." A glint of sadness flickered across her violet eyes.

Junpei gave her a gentle pat on the back in hopes of cheering her up. "I'm really sorry about your parents, Kanny…"

"It's okay, Jumpy." She replied with a smile on her face again. "I still have Aoi, and now I have you too, for a while at least."

Although he wouldn't admit it, Junpei wanted this moment to last forever. Just sitting with Akane again was like something out of his dreams, and he wasn't sure he could bear letting her go again. At the very least, they would have to find some way to stay in touch after leaving Titanic.

"So, where are you going now?" Junpei inquired, hoping for a definitive answer.

"I…don't really know. I don't even think that Aoi has a plan for us yet, and that worries me."

"You could always come and stay with me." He offered, although he knew that it was unlikely to work out since he would be living in a dormitory for the next year.

"Thanks, Jumpy, but I would have to bring Aoi too, and I'm not sure how well that would go over…"

The friends shared a laugh as they pictured Aoi chasing them around the university campus, screaming curse words in a fit of rage.

"Yeah, maybe that isn't the best idea…" Junpei admitted. "At any rate, I'm sure your brother will invent some sort of plan soon."

"I hope so…" Akane murmured. "But you know, we could solve all of our problems if we just got married, Jumpy."

Junpei's eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and he tried as hard as he could to keep his cheeks from going scarlet. "W-what?"

Akane giggled. "Just kidding!"

"O-oh…" Junpei laughed weakly in a desperate attempt to seem nonchalant. "If we got married, your brother would probably want to kill me even more…."

She giggled again and scooted closer to him. "It's starting to get crowded up here."

Junpei looked around to see that she was indeed correct. Although the deck had been virtually empty when they had arrived, it was now crowded with other passengers who had come up to wave to the mass of people that had gathered below.

"Did you want to go somewhere else?" Junpei inquired as he stood up from the wooden floor.

Akane did the same, but shook her head. "I want to watch the boat sail out to sea."

"Okay," Junpei agreed, "I'd like to see that, too."

Suddenly, a silver-haired male pushed his way out of the crowd towards Akane and Junpei, and he appeared to be a bit red in the face. "There you are! I've been looking _everywhere_ for you two! I swear to God, Junpei, when I get my hands on you I'll-"

"Aoi," Akane interrupted, "can you please calm down? Jumpy and I just want to spend some time together…"

"That's exactly the problem!" Aoi fumed. "I don't want you anywhere near him!"

"Aoi, I'm not a child anymore. I know you just want to protect me, but I can make my own decisions." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Upon hearing his sister's words, Aoi looked crestfallen. Ever since their mother and father had died, Aoi had protected Akane as though he was her father, but she was right. She was twenty-one, and more than capable of deciding things for herself. His eyes narrowed, and he fixed Junpei with a glare. "You're still sleeping in the hallway." And with those words, he turned to leave.

"Is he going to be okay?" Junpei asked once he was sure that Aoi was gone.

The young woman next to him nodded reassuringly. "He just needs to yell at one of our other roommates for a bit, and he'll be fine."

The two friends smiled and laughed as Titanic set off to sea, and watched as Ireland faded over the horizon.


	7. Advice Regarding Friendship and Romance

The White Star Line had made more than one mistake when it came to cabin arrangements, as the Aria twins had found out the previous night. They had been chatting with Wallace Hartley after the last of the first class passengers had filed out of the dining room when the conversation took a turn from music to their accommodations aboard Titanic. Mr. Hartley was surprised to learn that the twins had been put up in a crew cabin when he and the rest of his group were being housed in second class. He suggested that Vincent and Vergil should talk to someone about moving rooms, but the Arias insisted that they were perfectly comfortable where they were, although they were considering mentioning something to the White Star Line strictly for informative purposes, of course. Because the brothers were little-known musicians and had been given the honor of being invited aboard Titanic in the first place, they thought it unwise to push their luck. Besides, they certainly wanted to play on Titanic again in the future.

In the end, the twins had decided to search for an official to speak with early in the morning before their presence was required elsewhere. The man they talked with seemed to be flustered about the mistake and insisted on moving Vincent and Vergil to a second-class room, but the brothers politely declined.

"Oh, no. That won't be necessary." Said Vincent. "We don't want to cause any trouble, really. We only intended to inform you of the situation."

"A-are you quite sure? I assure you, it would be no trouble at all for us to move you into a new room." The White Star Line official had blond hair, and the dark circles under his eyes suggested that he hadn't slept in a few days.

Vincent shook his head. "We assure you, we're perfectly happy where we are, sir."

"Well, if I can't convince you, we can at least make up for our mistake in a different way."

Vergil, who had been silent the entire time, was beginning to think that this excursion wasn't their best idea. It was clear that the blond man across from them had no intention of letting them out of his office until the official felt he had appeased the musicians in some way. "…What is it that you suggest, sir?" Vergil asked quietly, trying without success to keep his voice from shaking.

The official smiled. "The privilege to roam the ship at your leisure and use all of the facilities we reserve solely for our first class passengers. What do you say?"

Vincent and Vergil exchanged glances. They were almost certain that the first class passengers wouldn't be too keen on sharing the Turkish Bath with two of the musicians whom they ignored at dinnertime.

"Are you sure that would be allowed?" Vincent inquired.

"Of course." Replied the blond man, his voice brimming with confidence. He seemed to be elated at the prospect of having made an offer that the violinists were unlikely to refuse. "You could even use the first class dining room for practice after dinner, should you choose to do so."

Vergil's cerulean blue eyes lit up in excitement. It would be wonderful to practice in the dining room, where they would be unlikely to bother anyone with their playing. "We will gladly accept, sir." He replied, the nervous edge in his voice gone.

"Brilliant!" The blond man exclaimed as he signed his name on two small cards. "If anyone asks, just show them these and they should let you through right away."

"Thank you, sir." The brothers said in unison as they took the cards and put them into their pockets.

The White Star Line official stood up, prompting the twins to do the same, and shook both of their hands briskly. "If you need anything, anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask for Calvin Kirkland."

The musicians nodded gratefully and voiced their thanks a final time before departing from Mr. Kirkland's office and making their way back to their cabin.

"To be honest," Vergil began as the two walked down the hallway in the direction of stairs that would bring them down to E-Deck, "I'm surprised that meeting went as well as it did."

"Really? Were you expecting them to laugh and turn us away or something?" Vincent joked with a slight laugh. "Worrying so much has to be bad for your health."

"Maybe if you weren't so carefree, I wouldn't have to worry for _both_ of us, Vincent." Vergil replied sarcastically. "…But I suppose I could loosen up a bit…"

"And it might do you good to talk with other people a bit more." Added Vincent as he gave his younger brother a pat on the back. "You probably didn't even say ten words to Mr. Kirkland."

The younger of the twins frowned. "I said twelve words, actually. You know that I've never been very good with strangers, Vincent. You're much more outgoing than I am."

Vincent looked thoughtful for a moment before his eyes brightened and he began to speak again. "We need to find you some friends. Maybe then you'll be more social."

Vergil stared at his older brother, unsure if he should be offended, but the more he thought about it, the clearer it became that Vincent was right. Besides his brother, Vergil didn't really have any friends, and he simply hadn't noticed until now. For a very long time, the brothers had only had each other for support, and Vergil had become so accustomed to this close relationship that he had never even felt the need for friends, or any other type of companionship for that matter. "…Maybe you're right." He admitted, looking sullen.

"Oh, cheer up. Making friends is easy!"

Vergil wasn't convinced. "For you, maybe, but I just… I'm not as interesting as you are. I would probably _bore_ people to death with talk of music, and they would probably rather have no friends at all than have me."

"You're being awfully hard on yourself today." Vincent ruffled his little brother's hair in an effort to cheer him up. "I don't think you're boring at all. A bit stuffy maybe, but not boring. We simply need to find you a stuffy, music-loving friend."

"Tell me, where exactly do you intend to find this stuffy, music-loving friend, Vincent?"

"That's easy." Vincent replied with a smile. "I've already found you one."

Vergil raised an eyebrow with curiosity. "Care to elaborate?"

"Don't tell me you didn't notice the silver-haired man who was watching you play during dinner last night. He looks stuffy enough for you to get along with."

"Of course I noticed him. He stared for so long that I had to close my eyes so I wouldn't lose my focus… And besides, don't you think it would be better if I had a friend who was outgoing rather than uptight like me?"

"You have me, don't you?"

"I suppose that's true…" Vergil let out a sigh.

"I suggest you talk to him. I'm sure the two of you will get along perfectly." Vincent gave his brother a reassuring nudge in the side.

"Well, Vincent, I'm sure that would be a marvelous idea if it weren't for the fact that he is a first class passenger and I am a musician. We reside in completely different worlds. _Anyway_," Vergil said, frustration and impatience obvious in his voice, "can we please talk about something else? I've been reminded of my lack of friends enough times for one day."

"Alright, alright." Vincent immediately dropped the subject, seeing as Vergil looked to be quite upset and the conversation had lasted just long enough to give them time to get back to their cabin. "Lighten up, will you?"

"Oh, come off it, Vincent." Vergil clearly wasn't in the mood to talk anymore. He turned his attention to their cabin door, opened it, and the brothers stepped inside and Vincent closed the door behind them.

"That was quick." Said James Paal, who was sitting on the edge of his bunk. "I thought it woulda taken you two longer to find someone to talk to."

"So did we, but we were fortunate, I suppose." Vergil muttered while climbing to the top bunk, which he had claimed yesterday.

Detecting that the younger of his two roommates wasn't in the best of moods, James raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with 'im?" He asked, directing his question at Vincent.

"He's just depressed because he doesn't have any friends." Vincent replied matter-of-factly.

Vergil glared at his older brother from where he sat on the top bunk. "Will you be quiet? Haven't you already said enough for one day?"

Seven looked mildly confused. "C'mon now, that ain't really true, right?" He scratched the back of his neck casually. "Even I got myself some friends, and you're much better lookin' than me. Ain't ya at least got a couple a lady friends?"

After a brief silence, Vincent realized that Vergil wasn't going to offer up any sort of answer, so he decided to speak on his brother's behalf. "No, Vergil is too shy to even talk with women."

Upon hearing the older twin's response, Seven grunted in disbelief. "Ya can't tell me that the two of ya don't have girls hangin' off your arms everywhere ya go, 'cause I won't believe a word o' that."

"Oh, we do," Vincent said, sounding a little more proud of that fact than he should have been, "I can assure you of that. My brother just… Well, he doesn't really talk to any of them, you see. Vergil simply has no friends."

"He's got you, don't he?" Seven questioned.

"Of course he does, but we're twins. I don't really think that I count."

"Ain't the three of us friends?" After exchanging stories of their pasts, James Paal had felt a certain closeness with his roommates, and he couldn't really fathom how they could have shared such personal information and not be friends afterwards.

"Ah, yes. I suppose I do consider us to be friends." Vergil said, obviously excited that he _did_ actually have a friend, even if it was only one.

"Hm," replied Vincent, "I guess you're not doomed to a friend-less existence after all." He laughed slightly at his own joke, which earned him a glare from his twin. "Well, now that we've figured that out…"

"Oh, yes. I wonder why you're still here, Mr. Paal." Vergil effortlessly finished his brother's thought without even realizing that he had done so.

James leaned out of his bunk so he could see Vergil's face before replying. "Ain't any need for bein' formal, kid. Seven's just fine."

"Er, sorry, Seven." Vergil quickly apologized.

Seven nodded, signaling he had accepted the younger man's apology. "Not a problem. And to give ya an answer to your question, I'm just here 'till my shift starts in twenty minutes er so." He paused for a moment before continuing. "There was, uh… somethin' I wanted to talk with you boys about before I have to get goin'."

"What about?" Vincent asked, curious about what Seven had to say.

"It's, uh…" Seven shifted uncomfortably on his bed and again scratched at the back of his neck, seemingly unable to get more words to come out of his mouth. "Well, I thought ya might be able to help me out because… It's kinda about this lady I met."

Seven's words had piqued Vincent's interest, especially since there was a woman involved, and he couldn't help but smile. "Don't keep us waiting! How did you meet? What is her name? What is she like?" The words practically fell out of his mouth, and he was talking so quickly that he was difficult to understand.

"If ya keep talkin' so fast, your mouth is gonna fall off, kid. As I was tryin' to say, I met her last night when I was comin' back from the Engine Room and…" Seven's voice trailed off and he furrowed his brow in concern. "Uh, not to change the subject or anythin', but that reminds me… Have ya heard about the fire in one of the coal bunkers?"

"A fire? Really?" Vergil was startled, and obviously shared Seven's concern.

"Yeah. It's been burnin' since we left Southampton, and I don't think it's been put out yet. Now, don't worry too much about it. I'm sure you boys and the rest of the people on Titanic are safe, but I just thought ya should know."

Unsure of how to process or use this new information, Vincent and Vergil exchanged confused glances. How could a fire below deck _not_ spread? Just how long would they really be safe? Vergil's mind was buzzing with questions, and although he tried to suppress it, he couldn't help imagining what would happen if the workers in the Engine Room failed to contain the blaze and it spread throughout the ship while they were stranded in the middle of the North Atlantic. What bothered Vergil the most about the situation was that he hadn't even known about the fire until James had said something. Perhaps the White Star Line had purposefully decided to keep the fire a secret so as not to upset worriers like Vergil and cause some sort of mass hysteria, and if that was the case, they had likely made a good decision.

"The fire ain't gonna hurt ya, boys. We've got it under control, far as I know. Anyway," Seven said, clearing his throat, "about this, uh, lady I was talkin' about… I was comin' back from work real late last night, and I ran into this woman in one of the 'Staff Only' corridors. She had real long black hair, fiery brown eyes, and she was wearin'… Well, she was wearin' some sorta weird, jingly outfit under a grey coat. She looked kinda cold, since she was showin' a lot a skin, and I was thinkin' she was lost since she wasn't supposed to be in that hallway, so I, uh… I asked her if she was lost."

"And?" Vincent questioned after Seven fell silent for a few moments. "What happened next?"

"I asked what her name was and what she was doin' in the staff hallway. She got all mad and started yellin' at me 'cause I didn't know who she was. She ended up sayin' that she went by the name 'Lotus', and that it was none of my business why she was in an area where she didn't belong. Then she just ran off like she was angry or somethin'." Finished with his story, the burly man let out a sigh and got up from his bed.

The room was silent for a moment as the two brothers thought about their friend's situation and the best way to respond. Vincent, who fancied himself to be an expert when it came to giving romantic advice, was the first one to break the silence. "I didn't really think that you would go for such a feisty woman, Seven." Vincent said with a chuckle. "At any rate, what is it that you like about her? It isn't really her attitude, right?"

Seven's face turned as red as a beet and he looked extremely flustered. In an effort to save face, he fixed his gaze on a section of wall that had suddenly become extremely interesting while hoping that his roommates wouldn't notice his accidental display of affection for the mysterious woman known only as "Lotus."

Vincent saw through Seven's ruse immediately and a smirk quickly spread across his lips. "So it _is_ her attitude!"

"But… why?" Vergil asked, having no idea why any man would want to go with a woman who had in essence told him to get lost when they had only just met.

The older man shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down at his feet. "…It reminded me of when I first met my wife."

"O-oh…" Vergil stammered. He had always imagined Seven's wife to have been a quiet and kind person, rather than someone in need of an attitude adjustment.

Vincent, who was similarly dumbfounded, raised an eyebrow and looked at Seven in disbelief. "Your wife was feisty?"

"Only at first." James replied simply. "But she turned out to be a real soft-hearted lady once I got to know her."

After James explained himself, Vergil finally understood why he found this new woman attractive. "I see… You like Lotus because you think she is hiding a soft side under her tough exterior, just like your wife did."

James Paal nodded. "I guess that's about it…" His voice trailed off into silence, and he seemed hesitant to say anything more.

"Is something wrong, Seven?" Vergil had quickly picked up on Seven's unwillingness to add anything else to his statement, and he doubted that it was simply because his roommate was in denial about Lotus' uncanny similarity to his wife.

"Guess since I've already told ya so much, it wouldn't hurt to tell you two the truth." Seven moved his gaze up from the floor and looked at both Vincent and Vergil before continuing. "My wife's been gone for a very long time. I really loved her, ya know? But there's just somethin' about Lotus, and I'm not sure if I can move on." Seven's eyes clouded over with sorrow, and he kicked at the floor with his feet as if to distract himself from the harsh reality of his words.

Vincent walked over to Seven and gave him a comforting pat on the back. "From what you've said, I can tell that you truly loved you wife."

"If you were truly so in love," Vergil said, continuing his brother's thought, "then I'm sure she would want you to be happy, even if it means that you move on to another woman."

Seven's eyes brightened upon hearing the brothers' encouraging words, and he smiled slightly. "Thanks. You boys really made me feel a lot better."

"That's what we're here for." Vincent returned Seven's smile. "And if you see Lotus again, talk to her. Ask her about herself, and don't forget to smile. It's a sure-fire way to a girl's heart!"

Vergil frowned. He suspected that women were a bit too complex to be won over by a smile and some simple questions, but he kept his thoughts to himself and stayed quiet.

Suddenly, James looked alarmed and he checked a pocket watch that he had taken out of one of the pockets of his pants. "I'm real sorry boys, but I gotta go or I'll be late for my shift."

"We'll see you when you return, then." The twins said in unison as they watched Seven walk towards the door.

"Yep. See ya." The mountain of a man gave a slight wave as he headed down to the Engine Room, wondering if he would be lucky enough to see Lotus again.


	8. An Irrefutable Offer

Liliana Cradle stared listlessly at her reflection in the cup of spiced chai tea that sat on the table before her. She had been left to her own devices after dinner: Her father and his cronies had retreated to the Smoking Room to congratulate each other for being successful and powerful men, and Abel had once again made up an excuse so he would be excused from joining them, enabling himself to roam the ship in search of beautiful women; even Hannelore had decided to leave the cabin to do something, although Liliana had no idea what that might have been. Liliana could just as easily have gone off on an adventure of her own, but she had decided against it since she couldn't think of any place worth exploring. Unfortunately for Liliana Cradle, this simple choice would prove to be a mistake.

Suddenly, she heard the cabin door open, followed by the distant sound of four distinct sets of footsteps entering the room before someone closed the door again. Liliana didn't bother to look up from her tea to see the faces of the four people who had returned to the room for she already knew who she would find.

"Ah, Liliana." Came her father's low voice from the doorway. "I was hoping that you would be here. I have an important matter which I must discuss with you."

Liliana furrowed her brow in confusion and curiosity. "Regarding what, exactly?"

Ace Cradle and his three Executives sat down on the chairs and couch that were opposite of the blond woman and took a moment to make themselves comfortable before Ace finally spoke again. "Where is your brother?"

"I haven't the slightest idea." Liliana replied. Her response had been honest; although she knew _what_ Abel was doing, she had no idea where he might be.

Ace Cradle narrowed his eyes. "Is that so? Because _I_ happen to know that your brother is below deck with steerage passengers, dancing with lower-class women!" He hissed through gritted teeth, rage apparent in his voice. "It's unbelievable, I tell you! Making excuses to participate in such an activity!"

"Mr. C-Cradle, s-s-sir, please, c-calm down…" Stammered the shortest and most nervous-looking of the three Cradle Executives. His frizzy hair, despite it being slicked back, refused to be tamed and went in every possible direction except for the one in which it was supposed to go. The frail man looked at his boss through a pair of thick-rimmed glasses and his breathing came in short gasps as he extended a trembling hand to steady Ace Cradle, who simply slapped it away.

"Keep your hands to yourself!" Ace snapped, shooting the other man a warning glare. "And _you_," he began, turning his attention back to his daughter, "I refuse to believe that you had no knowledge of your brother's whereabouts! I've raised you for twenty-four years, Liliana, which is certainly long enough to notice when you are feigning innocence!"

The half-hearted smile that had been plastered across Liliana's lips disappeared, leaving a grim line behind in its wake. "Alright. I'll admit it. You've caught me, but I don't see how this admission helps with your little problem."

Ace's face tightened with frustration at his daughter's blatant disrespect. He had certainly taught her better than to behave in this manner, and he failed to see why she could not follow his simple rules. Perhaps it had to do with something that Liliana's mother had instilled in her mind… But all of that was beside the point. Ace needed to see that his plan came to fruition. "Liliana," he continued after a long pause, "you are going to inherit Cradle Pharmaceutical."

The blond woman's eyes shot open, and she almost spat out the tea she had been drinking onto her father's face. "E-excuse me?" She stuttered after managing to swallow the tea and regain some of her composure.

"You are going to inherit Cradle Pharmaceutical, Liliana. I don't wish to repeat myself again." Ace replied, his words coated with annoyance.

"B-but I thought that Abel was…"

Ace sighed deeply and rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Your brother is an ignorant fool who has proven himself unfit to run my company without driving it to ruin. You, on the other hand, possess the knowledge and capacity for learning required to do the job. And that horrid demeanor of yours… Well, it's perfect for controlling your underlings."

The three Cradle Executives shifted in their chairs and looked visibly uncomfortable, but none of them dared to speak.

"Are you so sure that people will accept a company run by a woman?" Liliana posed the question with a smirk, fully expecting her father to fumble for an answer.

Much to her dismay, the corners of his mouth turned up into a devious grin, suggesting that he'd spent a good many hours- days or months even- coming up with a plan to avoid this very problem. "You are simply to be the brains of Cradle Pharmaceutical, Liliana. Abel will be the face of the company, so no one will suspect that the business is actually being run by a woman."

Liliana's lips sulked into a frown and her eyes held a mixture of emotion that was somewhere between anger and fear. "So, while I toil away in secret, my brother will take all of the credit for my hard work?"

"Precisely." Her father replied coolly.

"Then I refuse."

Ace Cradle let out a low chuckle that brimmed with irritation. "How foolish of you to think that you possess the power to refuse!"

The three Executives joined in their superior's laughter for a few moments before being quieted by a swift movement of his hand.

"Ridiculous." Liliana retorted, her eyes narrowing. "I can refuse, and that is exactly what I'm doing."

Ace sighed deeply and rested the tips of his fingers on his forehead, as if to support his head. "You misunderstand me, Liliana. I am making an offer that you _cannot_ refuse. You see, your refusal means that you will no longer be part of this family."

"It means nothing to me if I am disowned."

"Are you really so selfish? Consider the feelings of your mother and brother. I can certainly live without you, Liliana, but they are much different than I."

As much as Liliana wanted to say something witty in her defense or throw the remaining tea from her cup onto her father, she could not muster the strength for she knew that her father was right. Deep down, Liliana had realized that her mother and older brother Abel, though he would never admit it, depended on her for the support they needed to survive in the Cradle family. Without her, there was nothing to hold the family together, and Liliana's conscience would not allow her to abandon those who needed her and had given her so much in return.

"Are we in agreement, Liliana? I trust you understand the weight of my proposal…" As he let his voice trail off, the corners of Ace Cradle's mouth curled up into a smirk.

"I-I understand, Father." Liliana murmured, knowing that she had been beaten.

"Very good." Ace said as he rose from his chair and beckoned for his Executives to do the same. "Gentlemen, we'd best be going. Don't you agree?"

"I'm sure the cigars and brandy are still good!" It was a short, stout man who had spoken, and his deep baritone rumble seemed to fill the room.

Liliana watched as her father left the cabin, his cronies following closely. Once she was sure they had gone, the blond woman finally released the tears she had been holding in, and she watched as they dripped from her cheeks and into what remained of her tea. Her breathing came in short gasps between sobs.

Minutes passed, and soon the sound of her crying that echoed through the room dissolved into a thick blanket of silence.

_I have to get out of here._ The blond woman thought to herself in desperation as she stood up from where she had been sitting, almost knocking over her teacup in her haste. Although she knew that she could not escape from her current situation, she could, at the very least, escape from this oppressive room that felt akin to a prison cell.

Liliana gathered her composure and left the room as quickly as possible without alerting passersby that something was wrong. For a long while, she continued down flights of stairs and through hallways, not paying any attention to where her feet were carrying her. Liliana's only wish was to get as far away from her cabin and her father as was humanly possible.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Liliana saw a flash of white, and before she knew it, she found herself on the ground, staring up at the angry face of a silver-haired, young man.

"Hey! Watch where you're goin'! He spat, the fire of rage evident in his grey eyes. Without even so much as offering to help her up, he continued on his way.

"_Excuse me_, but haven't you been taught the proper way in which to treat a lady? I believe you owe it to me to help me up." Liliana called after him while glaring at his back. She watched in smug satisfaction as he stopped in his tracks and turned to face her.

"Don't waste your breath, _lady_. The chances of me going outta my way to help someone like you are less than zero. And besides, it was your dumb ass that ran into me!" He retorted, his eyes narrowed into thin slits.

Liliana smirked. "And that is why you will never get a woman to go with you. Enjoy your stay in _third class_."

The young man rolled his eyes and sighed; he had been outwitted by a woman for the second time over the course of two days. Things were certainly not looking up for him. "Fine, fine. I guess I'll help your sorry ass up."

"A wise choice. In return for your trouble, perhaps I can give you a bar of soap to wash out that foul mouth of yours."

"Just shut up already! You're pushing your luck." As he reached out for the hand of the woman before him on the floor to help her up, she swatted his hand away. "What _now?_"

"Your name." She said simply. "It is common courtesy for a man to introduce himself to a lady. Were you raised by wolves?"

"It's Aoi." He replied through gritted teeth. "And who the hell are _you?_"

"I am Liliana Cradle." She said, as if she were actually proud to be a part of the Cradle family. As she spoke, Liliana finally took Aoi's outstretched hand. "So, Aoi, do you have a surname?"

"Kurashiki." He said flatly, pulling Liliana up from the floor.

"What an odd name… Where are you from, exactly?"

Aoi studied the woman carefully before responding. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue- a color that reminded him of the ocean on a clear day- and her hair was a golden blond that curled gently near her face. Her rich purple dress hugged her slim figure until it reached her mid-thigh where the fabric fanned out and flowed down to barely sweep the floor. The young woman's shoulders were tastefully covered by a sheer black shawl that sparkled in the light. "Uh, I'm from Japan." He responded hastily once he realized that Liliana had noticed that he was staring at her.

"Well, your English is certainly very good. How did you learn, Aoi?"

"I taught myself." Aoi didn't feel very comfortable speaking about his past with this stranger who had bruised his ego so thoroughly. "Okay, it's my turn to start asking the questions. What are you doing down here anyway?"

Liliana looked taken aback. "That is…well, you see…" She paused for a moment and let out a sigh. "It is complicated, you see, and also no business of yours."

"You just have to be difficult, don't you? You're not worth my time anyway." Aoi turned on his heel and began to stalk off down the hallway.

Liliana followed him, refusing to let the ill-tempered male have the last word. "Take me with you."

He turned his head and glared at her. "No. Why the hell would I do that?"

"…Because I can't go back there." Liliana murmured, half to herself, half to Aoi.

"Pfft," he scoffed, mocking her, "poor little rich girl. As if someone like you actually has any _real_ problems. Come back and talk to me when your parents buy it in an accident and you have to fend for yourself." Aoi continued to walk, but suddenly felt himself restrained by a hand of his left arm.

"I would be better off as an orphan, believe me. You don't understand at all. Being poor is much better than drowning in money that you do not want. Having no parents at all would be much better than having a father who keeps you confined like a bird in a cage. Please, Aoi… Please bring me with you!" She was pleading with him now, something that she had never resorted to before.

"Alright, alright!" Aoi threw his free arm up in defeat. "But you'd better not embarrass me in front of my sister."

Liliana smiled and her blue eyes began to sparkle. "Ah, so you have a sister, do you?"

"Just shut up." Aoi groaned as the two continued down the hallway in relative silence.

Before Liliana knew it, she and Aoi were in a dimly lit room full of people, and the smell of cheap beer hung heavily in the air. The sounds of Irish folk music floated up to her ears, and the whole room seemed to exude an aura of relaxed happiness. She doubted that she had ever seen so many people crammed into such a small space that still had grand smiles on their faces and a certain excitement in their eyes that made them glimmer in the light. "Where," she began in quiet awe, "exactly are we?"

Aoi smirked. "We're at a _real_ party."

Before Liliana could muster a reply, a group of four women ran over to them. The oldest of the women jingled as she ran, and Liliana couldn't help but notice the lack of modesty in her choice of clothing.

"Hm? Who is this?" Asked the scantily clad woman as she brushed a few strands of her jet black hair from her face. She gestured toward the blond woman who was still gripping Aoi's left arm.

Aoi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly with his right hand. "Uh, well… She's…uh…"

As if to save Aoi from further embarrassment, Liliana spoke up. "I am Liliana Cradle. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

The older woman raised an eyebrow. "No relation to Ace Cradle, I trust?"

"He is my father." Liliana replied simply, not caring to elaborate further.

"Interesting. Well, Liliana, the pleasure is mine. You can call me Lotus, by the way. And these are my daughters, Nona and Ennea." Lotus motioned to the young woman with her raven hair tied in a ponytail and then to the other with a silver hairpin in her long, flowing hair- each in turn.

Liliana was silently thankful that Nona and Ennea, who were obviously twins, at least wore their hair differently so that she could tell them apart. She nodded to acknowledge them, and the twins gave her a slight smile in return. Liliana then turned her gaze to the only woman who had not been introduced.

"Oh, um…" The young woman with caramel-brown hair shifted awkwardly on her feet, uncomfortable with the intensity of Liliana's stare. "My name is Akane, and I'm Aoi's little sister…"

The elegant blond burst into a sort of controlled laughter. "You act nothing alike! Are you absolutely sure you're related? You don't even look like siblings!"

"Haha!" Lotus joined in her laughter. "My thoughts exactly! Akane clearly has a much better personality than her brother. I think that we'll get along just fine."

Liliana nodded in agreement, a broad smile upon her lips.

Aoi looked at Liliana through narrowed eyes. "I knew I shouldn't have brought you here. And can you let go of my arm already?"

"Oh," said Liliana as she released his arm from her grasp, noticing that large red marks had appeared where her fingers had once been, "my apologies."

Lotus crossed her arms and regarded Aoi skeptically. "How you actually managed to get a woman like Liliana to go with you, well, it's a mystery to me."

"Hey! It's not like that! You've got it all wrong, lady!" Aoi protested.

"Deny it all you want." Lotus shrugged her shoulders, her clothing jingling as she did so. "We'll just leave the two of you alone, then. Come on, girls. Goodbye, Liliana, Akane." Lotus and her daughters waved as they disappeared into the sea of people in the room.

"Um, I guess I'll go too, then…" Akane said quietly as she began to walk away.

"No, Akane! Wait!" Aoi called after her, but she had already gone. "Great. Now I'm stuck with you…"

Liliana pursed her lips. "How rude!"

Aoi ignored her and instead turned his attention to the makeshift wooden stage that had been assembled in the middle of the room. The musicians had begun to play a new tune, and the drum beat that started the song was so catchy that Aoi found himself tapping his toes to the rhythm. As the other instruments joined in the lively jig, a man with combed-back dirty blond hair and a woman wearing a red dress covered by a layer of translucent black fabric and embroidered with silver gems climbed up onto the stage and began to dance. The woman, who didn't seem to belong in the room similarly to Liliana, protested as they started to spin, her dark red locks flowing out behind her.

"We're going up there." Aoi said suddenly, motioning toward the stage.

"W-what? You're joking, aren't you?" She backed away from him slowly, looking for an escape route.

"Nope." Aoi grabbed Liliana's hand and dragged her onto the stage. "I'm gonna show that guy who's the best dancer here."

Liliana rolled her eyes. "Surely you don't think that would be you…right?"

"I can dance, and you can bet your damn bottom dollar on that!"

"You had better not embarrass me…" Liliana took Aoi's hands, this time willingly, and they began to spin. In circles they went, using each other's hands as a pillar to center themselves. As the background and faces of the other people in the room blended into one, Liliana couldn't help but laugh. She couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed herself so thoroughly, the last time her smile had been so genuine.

"See? What did I tell you?" Aoi looked proud of himself, and Liliana noticed that for the first time since they'd met, he was smiling, too.

She stared intently at his face, as it appeared to be the only still object amongst the blur of motion in her field of vision. The rest of the evening seemed to vanish into the beating of the drum, the swift movement of dancers' feet, and into the depths of his stony eyes.

As time ticked by and the hour grew later, the crowd began to clear from the room and many of the dancers had settled into chairs to enjoy a beer. Having exhausted themselves during their escapade on stage, Aoi and Liliana decided to relax and drink at a wooden table on the outskirts of the room.

"That's probably too much for you." Aoi stated bluntly, his eyes focused on the tall glass of amber liquid that sat before Liliana.

"Ha!" She scoffed as she picked up her beer. "I suppose you think that a girl like me can't drink! Well, you're wrong, Aoi."

The silver-haired male across from her watched as she seemed to inhale half of the liquid in the glass and he gave her a skeptical look. "You're gonna hurt yourself. I'd put that down if I were you."

"I already have my father telling me what to do at every turn. 'Do this, do that…'" Liliana was mocking her father's deep voice and making dramatic motions with her hands, all the while laughing at what seemed to be a secret joke.

The woman sitting opposite Aoi couldn't have been more different from the refined, yet rude person he had met only a few hours ago. He wasn't sure which side of her he preferred, if any at all. "What's with this old man of yours, anyway?" Aoi questioned, though he didn't really expect an answer.

"Don't even get me started!" She exclaimed loudly, slamming her glass down onto the table. If there had been any liquid left in it, it would certainly have sloshed out all over the tabletop. "He's a horrible man! To this day, I still can't understand what possessed my mother to marry someone like him. My father is the reason why I met you tonight. I just couldn't stay there, in that godforsaken cabin, any longer! He told me tonight that I was to take over Cradle Pharmaceutical in place of my older brother, Abel. Now, mind you, neither of us really wanted it, the company, I mean… And he has the gall to tell me that I will be the brains of the operation while Abel, the face, will take credit for _everything!_" Liliana spoke quickly, her words slurring from a combination of alcohol and speed.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down… You're not making any sense." Aoi interjected before Liliana could get in another word. "Couldn't you have said no? And what about your brother? Does he know anything about this?"

"No," Liliana stated bluntly, "the answer to both of your questions is a resounding 'no.' Because of certain…circumstances, I could not refuse even though I wished to so desperately. As for Abel, well… I haven't seen him since my father's little 'proposal.' I'm sure he's here somewhere, surrounded by women, no doubt." She paused for a moment and scanned the room. "There. That's him, over there." Liliana motioned towards a collection of chairs on the other side of the room where two men, one of which was her brother, the other man whom she recognized as one of the violinists she had seen at dinner the other night, who were surrounded by a sizeable assembly of women. Among them, Liliana noticed Nona and Ennea.

"Huh. I'm not surprised that Lotus' kids are over there. Like mother, like daughters." Aoi smirked, clearly intending to harass Lotus about this later. "Abel is the blond guy, right?"

Liliana nodded.

"He looks like you. A lot like you."

"Everyone says that, but we really couldn't be more different."

"Kinda like what you said about my sister and I earlier…" Aoi commented, still staring over in Abel's direction.

"True, although I believe you meant 'my sister and me.'" Liliana corrected, obviously still sober enough to notice a slight grammatical error.

"Shut up." Aoi growled. "Anyway, who's the other guy? You know him?"

"Not personally, but I know that he's a musician on the ship. He has a twin brother, but he doesn't seem to be here…" Liliana replied as looked around the room again to be sure that the other violinist hadn't simply escaped her gaze.

"Well, Abel seems to know him."

"Maybe, but I'll wager that it's simply because they're both interested in Nona and Ennea." Liliana waved her hand in dismissal and turned back to Aoi. "It's getting late, and I still have to speak with Abel… I should really be going."

Aoi raised an eyebrow. "So soon? You sure you wanna risk going back?"

Liliana sighed deeply as she stood from her chair. "I do not have a choice. But… Thank you, Aoi, for everything."

"Uh, yeah, sure." Aoi was more than a little stunned to hear her expression of gratitude, especially considering the circumstances surrounding their first meeting, and those words were all he could manage to say. In that moment, he decided that he would have to consider revising his original impression of Liliana.

"Liliana? Is that you? What in the world are you doing here?" The voice belonged to Abel, who had approached the two while they were momentarily distracted, and the white-haired musician, as well as Nona and Ennea, were at his side.

"You seem surprised." Liliana responded as she turned to face the group.

"Only because you had gone back to the cabin immediately after dinner, and you gave no sign that you intended to emerge again before tomorrow morning. And of all places, I did not expect to see you here." Abel then glanced curiously in Aoi's direction. "Who might this be?"

"The name's Aoi." Replied Aoi, though the question had not been directed to him. "Don't wear it out."

Abel seemed rather amused. "I've never heard of a name like that before, but at any rate, it is good to make your acquaintance, Aoi."

"So," began Nona, "this is the sister you mentioned?"

"She's…different than I imagined…" Added Ennea, finishing her sister's thought.

"Ah, yes, she is. So you've met, then? You all seem to know one another…"

"We met Liliana earlier this evening, and Aoi is one of our roommates." Nona explained.

"I see." Abel said with a smile. He glanced back to Liliana and Aoi. "I assume you haven't met Vincent, then?"

"Not until now. A pleasure to meet you, Vincent." Liliana replied, directing her attention to the man standing next to her brother. "Do you have a twin, by chance?"

Vincent gave a slight nod. "That would be Vergil."

"He's not with you, then?" Liliana inquired, thinking it strange for twins not to be in the same place at all times.

Vincent let out a short laugh. "This really isn't his type of place."

"Too good for people like us?" Nona's words were laced with blatant sarcasm.

"No, no. Nothing like that. Vergil just…prefers his own company to the company of others." Vincent seemed a little more defensive than necessary, considering that Nona's words had been a simple joke. "I don't think he would fit in here."

"Well, it's not as if you, Abel, and I exactly blend in with the people here, anyway." The blond woman replied matter-of-factly.

"You got that right." Aoi sneered as he slouched in his chair. "You're not fooling anyone with _those_ clothes."

"Are you always so rude?" Liliana questioned, her eyes burning into Aoi's skull.

"…Says the pot to the kettle. You're such a hypocrite. You know that?"

With a roll of her eyes, Liliana looked directly at her brother. "We really should be going. I…have an important matter to discuss with you."

Abel seemed intrigued by his sister's words. "Regarding what?"

Liliana shook her head, signaling that the subject was not something to be discussed within earshot of others. Abel smiled in silent understanding.

"…We should leave, too, Nona." Ennea urged quietly.

"Oh, right! We've got that thing we have to do… I almost forgot!" Nona grabbed her sister's arm and began to haul her bodily towards the room's exit, but she stopped suddenly and turned back to the group. "Well, we'll see all of you later. Same time tomorrow night?" She inquired sweetly, directing her question to Vincent and Abel.

"Of course." Said Abel, smiling broadly.

"Definitely." Added Vincent.

"…Until tomorrow." Ennea barely managed to utter those words before her sister pulled her away and out of the room.

"Well," Vincent said after Nona and Ennea had gone, "I had best be off to find my brother. You know how it is with younger siblings."

Abel gave the other man a knowing pat on the back. "Ah, yes. You always have to keep an eye on them."

"Hmph. I don't need _anyone_ to look after me, thank you." Liliana retorted, her arms crossed.

"Tsk tsk, always so difficult. Your brother isn't like this, is he, Vincent?" Abel's eyes looked a little tired as he spoke. Liliana was clearly getting under his skin.

"Oh, Vergil?" Vincent was thoughtful for a moment. "I don't think he has it in him to cause anyone trouble. Although, at times he…"

Abel and Vincent's conversation wasn't of particular interest to Liliana, so she let their exchange fade into the commotion of the room and focused on Aoi. "I know this might be strange to ask, but… Could I maybe…see you again?"

Aoi knitted his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes in suspicious confusion. Liliana was just full of surprises. "Uh, what?"

Her snooty, high-strung demeanor gone, Liliana shifted anxiously in her chair. "Oh, don't misunderstand me. I've just never met another person who I felt I could trust enough to… If you'd rather not, please don't feel obligated…"

The silver-haired male gave a sly smile and quickly scribbled something onto a napkin that was sitting on the table. "Deck F, Section C, Cabin Number Forty. That's where you can find me until we dock in New York. If I'm not there, I'll probably be here or up on deck. You shouldn't have too much trouble finding me."

The blond woman took the napkin and discreetly hid it away within a secret pocket somewhere among the folds of her deep purple dress. "Thank you."

Aoi gave an almost imperceptible nod. "See you around, then?" Although he had meant for his words to be a statement, the phrase sounded more like a question as it left his mouth.

"Yes, of course." Liliana replied, her lips turning up into a smile.


	9. The First Fate

The first-class section of the Titanic's deck was completely empty at such a late hour, in stark contrast to the smoke-filled room that the two Cradle siblings had been in not too long ago. The night air was crisp and cold, and an unfathomable number of stars shone brightly in the black sky above their heads.

"I-it's so c-cold..." Abel said, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. "Why in the w-world did y-you think it wise to c-come out here?"

A violent shiver wracked Liliana's body. "D-don't tell me that you've a-already f-f-forgotten what I told you earlier?"

"I r-realize that you wanted to speak somewhere p-private, but c-c-couldn't you have thought of somewhere w-warmer?" Abel crossed his arms over his chest in a vain attempt to preserve what little body heat he felt he had left.

"If you would stop c-complaining, we c-could f-finish much faster, Abel. A-and b-b-besides, I bet that the w-water below us is much c-colder."

Abel sighed in exasperation. "Well, g-get on with it, t-then."

"Alright, alright." Liliana inhaled deeply, the freezing air making the back of her throat feel numb. Her shivering suddenly ceased, and she began her story. "After dinner, I went back to the cabin alone."

"Alone?" Interrupted Abel, "but I thought that Mother was with you..."

Liliana shook her head, slightly annoyed by her brother's outburst. "No, she wasn't with me. Mother went off somewhere, though I'm not sure where that might have been."

"Ah, I see. Please, continue."

"_Anyway_," Liliana began again, this time with a hint of venom in her voice, "Father and his Executives came back to the room early, which caught me by surprise. ...I suppose I should have known then that something was wrong."

"Okay," said Abel as he made an impatient gesture with his right hand, "can you p-please get to the p-point?"

"He made me an offer that I couldn't refuse, Abel."

A chill that was not induced by the weather ran up Abel's spine and he suddenly felt very, very warm. "What sort of…offer?"

"Well, perhaps 'offer' is not quite the right word. He _ordered_ me to take over Cradle Pharmaceutical when he is no longer fit to run the company."

Abel's face was a ghostly white and twisted by some combination of emotions that Liliana was incapable of deciphering. He looked like he wanted to say something, but remained silent.

"Father found out about your habits with women. He is sure to have a word with you in that regard the next time he has an opportunity. …But that's not the important part. Father didn't leave you out of his plans for Cradle Pharmaceutical, Abel."

Liliana's brother raised a tired eyebrow upon hearing her words.

"I am to be the brains of the company while you act as the face." The blond woman's words were quiet and solemn.

"So, in essence, you are saying that you will have to do all of the work while I take the credit?" Abel replied finally.

"…That is the gist of it."

Abel's fingers slowly curled into fists and his knuckles went white. "That's preposterous! He thinks that he is so high and mighty! Why, it's enough to make me laugh! Hahahaha_ha!_" His sudden outburst echoed out over the waves, almost as if it was mocking him. "What an idiot he is. Perhaps I wouldn't choose girls like Nona and Ennea if the women Father introduced me to had even a centimeter of personality! They are empty shells, all of them! He knows nothing of me and nothing of you!" After he had finished shouting, his breath came in short, exhausted pants.

Liliana put a hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm him. "Stop it. You're scaring me."

"But you agree with me, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I just… I cannot see a way out of this." Liliana's arm drifted back to her side and she looked away from her brother's face.

"Couldn't you have refused?" Abel questioned, his voice serious.

"Believe me, I tried. Father, however, told me that if I did not accept his little proposal, he would disown me. In all honesty, I care nothing for him or his money, but I couldn't leave you and Mother with that… that _monster_."

"We're all just pawns in his game of chess, Liliana." Abel hissed in disgust. "He only cares for himself. I fail to understand how Mother could love a man such as him. She deserves better. _We_ deserve better."

There was silence for a few moments as the siblings stared over the deck rails and out to the ocean, though it was difficult to tell where the water ended and the sky began.

"When Titanic docks in New York, we should run." Abel suggested suddenly.

"W-what?" Liliana stammered in shock. "That's ridiculous. Where would we go? And what about money?"

"Money is the least of our worries. I've kept all of the cash Father has given me over the years in a secret place. The only problem would be going back to the house to get it all… But all of that is beside the point, Lili. Don't you want an adventure, something different than the life we are forced to live?" Abel's eyes seemed to crackle with lightning, and Liliana wasn't sure if it was from anger, sorrow, or a combination of both. "Father wouldn't be able to order us around as if he were a dictator anymore!"

"Yes, that would be wonderful, but you're not thinking this through." A sudden gust of wind blew, as if it were upset by the conversation. "Father would spend all of his days trying to track us down, you know. Are you truly prepared to live with that fear every day? And think about Mother. We couldn't just leave her. She would be heartbroken!"

Abel heaved a short, frustrated sigh. "I would never dream of leaving Mother behind. We would run with her, of course."

"…Are you sure that she would want to leave him? Father, I mean. Would that really make her happy?" Liliana's blue eyes took on a wistful quality as she spoke in a low whisper.

"…What are you trying to say?"

"Neither of us care for Father, but Mother obviously does. Now, mind you, I don't understand what it is, but she sees some good in him that keeps her here. …I think that we should look for another solution."

"Unless you can come up with something different," Abel began, his tone cold and serious, "I'm running as soon as we dock."

"…I'll try to invent a new plan for us. We just need to wait and see how things will play out."

"We do not have much longer to wait, Liliana."

Silence rolled over the boat deck in waves, just as they rolled in the black water below. If they did not take action before leaving Titanic, their fates would be sealed and they would forever live as caged animals. It became increasingly clear as the minutes ticked by that running may very well be their best option, if not their _only_ option.

Tired of the dreary and uncomfortable atmosphere, Liliana, who had once again begun to shiver, spoke up. "At any rate, we should return to the cabin."

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Abel replied solemnly. "Father will be missing his pawns."

With that final, depressing suggestion, the siblings wearily departed the boat deck and forced themselves to return to their cabin. A welcome warm rush of air greeted them as they re-entered the ship.

The walk felt long and uncomfortable; both Liliana and Abel feared what might have been hiding behind the extravagant door in the shadows. Neither of them wanted to turn the doorknob, but Abel finally gave in and did so with a melancholy sigh.

The inside of the cabin was dark, and the light that poured into the room from the hallway failed to illuminate anything save for the doorway. It appeared as though Ace and Hannelore had gone to bed, or simply hadn't returned from wherever they'd been. After ushering Liliana into the room and entering himself, Abel closed the door as silently as he possibly could.

"How good of you to return." The voice was smooth and cold, and it emanated from some unknown location in the room. It was almost as if the voice were coming from every possible angle, and to add to the unwelcome feeling, the voice was one that Abel and Liliana had hoped to avoid hearing at all costs. "Care to tell me where you've been?"

"F-Father…" Liliana stammered, her voice barely audible.

"We… We were just…" Abel tried unsuccessfully to finish his sister's thought before anxiety got the better of him.

Suddenly, the lights in the room flickered on, and the Cradle siblings saw that their father's voice had been coming from the sofa near the fireplace. The brightness only served to leave Abel and Liliana feeling more uneasy and exposed, now that their father could see them. The felt no shame or embarrassment, however: only vulnerability.

"Trying to lie to me is not in your best interest. I'm sure you've already discussed your respective fates for the future, then?" Ace's voice was cold and unfeeling; if he cared even a little for the emotions of his children, he made no display of it. "And I assume that you did so after your little rendezvous below deck with the street rats and back-alley scum that you seem so attached to, am I correct?"

Aoi Akane, Nona, Ennea, Vincent, and Lotus were certainly not the lowlife characters that Ace had portrayed them as, but as much as Liliana and Abel wanted to say something, in their defense, they knew that it would be unwise to speak as they would only be digging themselves a deeper grave.

Ace Cradle rose from his chair, and began to walk towards his children at a moderately slow pace. His approach was menacing; he looked nothing so much as a lion about to take down its prey. "Abel," he began, "you and I must speak privately. Liliana will retire to her bedroom and leave us be. I have already dealt with her."

Liliana, without so much as a nod, followed he father's indirect command and scuttled to her room like a nervous mouse. She gave Abel a look of pity and sorrow as she closed her door and left him to face their father's wrath alone.

"You disappoint me, Abel." Ace began coolly as he stood across from his son. "You certainly could have put more of an effort into hiding your intentions from me. You are much too easy to read. I expected better from you."

Abel's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you being sarcastic? What are you getting at?"

"You are a failure as a man and a failure as my son. _That_ is what I was 'getting at.'"

The younger man did not flinch at the harshness of his father's words, but simply returned his empty stare. "I fail to understand where you intend to go with this, Father."

"Hmph. It seems as though I have gravely underestimated your ignorance." Ace Cradle snorted with grim humor. "I'll be getting rid of you, Abel. I have arranged for you to marry Dahlia Ford once we arrive in New York. I trust that you remember her from the gala in Pennsylvania? Well, you will be moving overseas with Dahlia and her family, you see. I've had quite enough of your nonsense, and will no longer stand for your unparalleled influence over your sister."

"B-but," stammered Abel, whose jaw had dropped in shock, "I heard from Liliana that I-"

"…Was to become the face of Cradle Pharmaceutical?" Ace interrupted, his tone one of mockery and twisted delight. "Oh, you can certainly act as the face from overseas. I simply cannot have you plotting something with Liliana, so I thought to put as much distance between the two of you as possible. Any visits you are allowed to make will be strictly for business, and any communication will be heavily scrutinized."

"Well, Father," said Abel, who had regained his composure during his father's drawn-out explanation, "that sounds quite lovely, but I'm afraid that I will have to decline. You see, I have other plans for my future that do not include Dahlia or Cradle Pharmaceutical."

Ace's face tightened in blatant annoyance. "It is obvious that you've spent too long with your sister. I haven't the slightest idea why the two of you pretend that you have any sort of authority in the governance of your own fates!"

"Perhaps I'd be more willing to accept the destiny you've laid out for me if you didn't treat me as though I were merely a rock by the roadside, a bug to be crushed under your heel, a useless memo that must be sent!" Abel was seething with blind fury, and he had unconsciously balled his hands into fists. His breathing grew measured and heavy, and he wanted nothing more than to run from everything; run down a path opposite from the one his father had forcibly carved for him. At that moment, Abel Cradle decided that he _would_ run after Titanic docked in New York, regardless of whether or not Liliana and his mother would join in his escape. It was selfish, yes. If left alone, more weight would definitely be added to Liliana's shoulders, and the inevitable fact of the matter was, however sad, that Liliana's resilient spirit would soon shatter under the pressure, and she would become Ace's obedient minion. Abel assumed, though he did not know for certain, that his mother would be left to suffer in silence, a powerless onlooker, as her family fell apart and she was left alone to bear Ace's ire. It was exceedingly selfish, but there comes a time for last resorts, however selfish they may be. If this was not the best instance for Abel to play his "Last Resort" card, then the time would likely never come. If he were to act, he could spare no thought for selflessness. Abel could only keep his best interests in mind, if he wished to continue living in the truest sense of the word.

"I'll treat you however I see fit." Ace replied, his eyes narrowed. "Perhaps if you would change your attitude, I would consider treating you as a son."

"Perhaps if you changed your personality, we wouldn't be in this position in the first place! You have to earn my respect-!"

Before Abel could complete his thought, he felt a sudden, sharp stinging sensation upon his cheek. It took him a few moments to realize that he had been slapped. Abel tentatively moved his own hand to touch the throbbing cheek where a handprint had begun to appear.

Unbeknownst to Ace Cradle, his wife had witnessed his violence from the doorway of the cabin, and she stood there, her back illuminated by the dim light from the hallway, with her mouth agape.

"W-what have you done…?" She stammered, her voice hoarse and broken. "Why have you hit him?"

"It is none of your business." Ace replied sternly, without even so much as looking at her.

Hannelore, usually quiet and reserved, did not seem eager to back down. "Of course it is my business! You seem to forget that Abel is also _my_ son. I will no longer stand idly by as you mistreat our children!"

"Abel," Ace began calmly, though he could not completely hide the undertone of anger in his voice, "leave us." He waved his hand in dismissal, and Abel begrudgingly obeyed.

"What has happened to you? You have become a monster! Why?" Hannelore desperately begged for an answer, her voice quiet, but with an edge of harshness.

"You will never understand, so I don't believe that it is worth my time to explain my reasons to you."

"But I am your wife!" She exclaimed, her teeth gritted in frustration. "I may not be able to understand completely, but perhaps I can help! Our family does not have to be this way! Do you not understand…?"

"We are not going to settle this matter now, _Dear._" Ace said firmly. "Go to bed. I have business to attend to."

Hannelore sighed deeply and began to retreat to their bedroom, of which she would be the sole occupant for the remainder of the night, but stopped before she entered. "I love you." Hannelore murmured, her words genuine.

"…Perhaps you ought to rethink that." Ace remarked solemnly as she closed the door behind her.

_And with those words, he became the first to seal his fate._


End file.
